Mild TBI/Concussion Clinical Tools for Providers Used Within the Department of Defense and Defense Health Agency

Megan A Lindberg, Seth A Kiser, Elisabeth M Moy Martin

Fed Pract. 2020 Sep;37(9):410-419

Background: Military personnel are at greater risk for sustaining mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), or concussion, whether they are in a combat or garrison setting. Consequently, mTBI is a major health concern for health practitioners to understand, in order to provide timely assessment and treatment to service members (SM) who are suspected to have mTBI.

Observations: Providing early diagnosis and effective management of symptoms can optimize recovery and promote healthy outcomes. Understanding what resources and guidelines are available is important for those evaluating active duty SMs within the Military Health System.

Conclusions: This article showcases clinical tools for screening, evaluating, and diagnosing concussion used within the US Department of Defense, and provides resources for practitioners to find these clinical tools online.